Kit Willow is celebrating the tenth anniversary of her brand this year, and to mark that milestone, she s turned her attention back to her native territory of Australia. There wasn t anything too aesthetically antipodean about Willow s latest collection, but its emphasis on light- to mid-weight pieces and adaptable outerwear was a nod to the temperate climate Down Under. You wouldn t wish to brave the depths of the average New York winter in Willow s three-way coat, a long-line black gilet with a removable cropped leather jacket on top, but it would see you through gentler weather in considerable style. Cleverly, Willow designed a few different cropped jackets that could fit over the zippered gilet; one version that looked especially relevant for this season boasted balloon-size sleeves.
Willow also made a smart calculation in focusing on marble prints—she couldn t have known that Alexander Wang would make that the theme of his first show for Balenciaga, of course, but her Carrara-inspired split skirts and papery bias-cut dresses looked especially spot-on because he did. Elsewhere, the designer executed some nice updates of her signature looks, including laser-cut leather bustiers and adapted motorcycle jackets in buttery-soft rose- and emerald-colored leather. This was a measured collection with a lot of accessible, attractive pieces.
